In performing an autopsy, a top portion of the skull, which for reference purpose herein is referred to as a cranial cap skull section or calvarium skull section, is cut and removed from the basal skull (or base of the cranium) in order that access can be gained to the brain and any other internal area of the skull.
After the autopsy is performed, the corpse is taken by an undertaker who then has to prepare the corpse for the funeral. It then becomes the responsibility of the undertaker to resecure the cut and removed cranial cap skull section to the basal skull section, and this obviously is a very important responsibility where the corpse is going to be viewed by family, friends, acquaintances, and others.
In the past, various means have been employed to resecure a cut cranial cap skull section to the basal skull section after an autopsy has been performed. For example, one approach that has been followed in the past entails drilling tiny holes in and through the skull above and below the saw kerf, and then inserting and manipulating tiny wires through the holes and then tying the wire outside of the skull such that the wire couples the cranial cap section to the basal skull section. This method is not satisfactory from a cosmetic consideration because of the presence of the wire outside of the skull and below the skin is difficult to hide and camouflage and often distracts from the physical appearance of the corpse.
Other approaches to coupling a removed cranial cap skull section to the basal skull section have been tried. For example, the disclosures in the following U.S. Patents deal with this problem: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,205,553; 2,839,815; and 3,220,081.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,553 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,815, both disclosures suggest extending a coupling member such as a fastening strap or bracket across the saw kerf formed about the skull, and then to fasten the particular coupling member about the external areas of the skull. As with the use of wire, such devices cannot be completely hidden and often one can see bulges formed under the skin caused by the presence of such coupling members being present about the external area of the skull, and this again often severely affects the physical appearance of the corpse.
An internal coupling method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,081, wherein this disclosure suggests the use of a calvarium clip disposed internally across the saw kerf. The problem with this method is that it is often unworkable, besides being very difficult to properly implement. Moreover, after placement, the cranial cap skull section is often not really firmly secured, and is proned to slip and slide away from its proper position of fit.